'The most famous person you've never heard of' is a great tagline; it makes you want to watch this doco, even before you know anything about its subject.
From then on you're not disappointed; the subject of The Last Impresario, Michael White, is as interesting as you could guess, thanks to liberal namedropping (he's friends with everyone from Kate Moss to Mick Jagger to Jack Nicholson) and his huge collection of photographs and memorabilia that link him to everything from Monty Python to The Rocky Horror Picture Show to Yoko Ono's early career.
But it's in the execution, rather than the subject matter of Gracie Otto's first feature, that the film falls flat. The sometimes shoddy camerawork is understandable considering the first year of filming Otto was on her own, camera in hand, but it's a failing that's difficult to get past. Controversial aspects of White's life, from production deals gone wrong to romantic conflict, are glazed over in favour of sequences that do feel heavy-handed – by the film's conclusion you're meant to feel sad: 80-year-old White has no money yet he gambles, needs two walking sticks to move around yet stays out until 4am, is 80 years old yet hangs out with beautiful women in their 20s. But boy is he interesting.
